Marathon Memories

Almost 365 days ago at this very moment I was embarking on the adventure of a lifetime with a motley crew of people that had come together a few months before as acquaintances, grew into friends, and ended this epic weekend as family for life! It still seems a bit unreal that within about 4 days we traveled to Arizona, saw one of God's most magnificent creations in the form of the Grand Canyon, road-tripped to Los Angeles, ran a 5K, hiked Runyon Canyon, and ran 26.2 miles in the L.A. Marathon as a grand finale to our spring break adventure. For all but one of us, it was our very first marathon and will be etched in our memories and hearts as a special day and peak life moment that can never be re-created, no matter how many marathons or races we may complete in the future.

The decision to run the L.A. Marathon came about so unexpectedly and without much time to contemplate and weigh just what we were getting into (I talked more about this in my post "Chicago Bound"). Most of us really didn't know how to train properly and with the race in mid-March, the bulk of our "training" took place in the dark, cold evenings of January and February. "Training" is a term I use loosely as most of us were just trying to log as many miles as we could before the marathon with no real rhyme or reason to the method. Even without proper training or preparation, I was so surprised at how the marathon was not nearly as bad or torturous as I had always imagined it would be. It was a beautiful spring day in Los Angeles. The route was crowded with people and energy from the "stadium to the sea" as we ran from Dodgers Stadium through every historic neighborhood and landmark in L.A. to Santa Monica. We couldn't have picked a better course on which to experience our first marathon. When I think back on that day, I just remember sunshine, palm trees, streets lined with people, and how much stronger I felt with each passing mile. This was the race where I discovered my infamous secret weapon...the chocolate cherry Clif shot! That thing was magical. I took my first gel around mile 13 and my pace instantly began dropping and getting faster with each mile. Instead of hitting a wall, I felt more powerful with each mile marker. I finished the marathon in 4:33 (my watch said 4:27 because it didn't take into my bathroom break that took 6 minutes at mile 2 due to the lines of people). Crossing the finish line felt surreal. I didn't feel particularly emotional and I didn't crumple to the ground in fatigue. It almost felt anti-climactic and in a way I was strangely sad that it was over. I think I got more emotional watching my friends walking toward me in the finish line area with the medals around their necks and the smiles on their faces outshining the exhaustion and salty faces as they finished one by one than I did in my own finish line moment. Realizing that we had ALL done this thing....that no one was left behind....that we had all just become a part of an elite percentage of the world's population as marathon finishers was such a special moment. During training, I had come across a quote that had made a deep impression upon my mind. It simply stated that "NO ONE gets to touch that finish line unless they've done the work." Basically, you can't wing 26.2 miles. It takes a special kind of determination, mental strength, physical toughness, and WORK to experience that moment. Less than 1% of the world's population has ever done it. To be a part of such an elite level of achievement marked by discipline, commitment, and tenacity was a life-changing experience. Never again would I say "never". Gone are the days of limited thinking, gone are the days of thinking my body isn't capable of certain things, gone are the days of self-doubt. As a marathon finisher, you get more than a medal. You get the knowledge that you can do hard things. You get the confidence that you CAN do whatever you set your mind to do. You get the awareness that your body is strong, powerful, resilient, and capable of so much more than you give it credit for. And more than that, you get a thirst for MORE. You begin to crave that exhilarating moment of setting a seemingly impossible goal and crushing it. You crave that challenge of pushing yourself to the next level, to dream bigger, and achieve even greater things.

So what has happened since that amazing finish line moment almost a year ago?? What has become of the girl who could never imagine completing a marathon once, much less multiple times? Well....I've completed an additional 4 half-marathons and set a new half-marathon PR. I've become an RRCA certified running coach, a NASM certified personal trainer, and a coach at Orangetheory Fitness. I'm officially registered for my first world major marathon in October and have started a blog and a journey to become a more influential running and fitness ambassador. Crossing that finish line almost a year ago was more than just the end of a race. It was the beginning of a different life. A life where I dream bigger, work harder, thirst for growth, and strive for more and more life. It was the beginning of a life that is in a perpetual quest for progress, a constant desire to get better and help others do the same.

My We Run Things run family has gone on from that moment to do amazing things as well. In fact, Kelli went on to complete another 3 marathons in 2017, including the NYC Marathon! Several of us were involved in assisting with We Run Things first training program in the fall in which we trained several people for the BMW Dallas Marathon events in December. More people within our running group have been inspired to strive for bigger goals, completing their first half-marathons and even full marathons and becoming a part of that special fraternity of people known as "finishers."

Who knew that 6 random people running a marathon on the whim of one person (ahem, Kelli Foster) could be the beginning of so many life-changing moments? That LA finish line on March 19, 2017 started a ripple effect that we may never quite realize the scope of. I'm so proud to have been a part of that group and that moment Now, a year later, our marathon crew has grown. We have 8 people (possibly two more for a potential of 10) that have committed to the Chicago Marathon. Only a few short weeks remain before we turn our focus to training and preparing for another race of a lifetime. When moments of doubt shadow my thoughts and I begin to wonder if I have what it takes to do this again...I just remember looking up at that finish line clock and seeing my feet cross the red and blue line with my hands raised overhead. I remember the sun and salt on my face and the breeze from the sea in Santa Monica and the weight of that first medal around my neck and I am empowered and inspired all over again. I can't wait to experience that moment again, this time in Chicago on one of the world's biggest marathon stages. I can't wait to see my teammates experience that moment for the first time. I'm also laser focused this time. While during my first marathon, I just wanted to finish....this time I want to finish WELL. I want to train properly and do everything right so that when I cross this next finish line, I won't wonder if my body was capable of more.

So much can change in year....I absolutely can't wait to see where this journey takes us next!